Called to the feast

 “…For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matt 22:14)

 

                                            pic: source here

(Year A: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 15^th October, 2023)

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READINGS 

Isaiah 25:1-9

Psalm 23

Philippians 4:1-9

Matthew 22:1-14

(See also Luke 14:15-25)

&&&&&&

The story of the King and his wedding party offers a crude and even violent image of those invited but who refused and were cut off by the King. We would be entirely mistaken to think of this story as a story about a vengeful God who behaves like human kings.  In the course of human history, the ‘Kings’ of this world including dictators and manipulators resorted and resort to the threefold methods of bullying: (1) violence of word or deed; (2) threats; and (3) denial of any wrong-doing on the part of the bully (it is all the fault of the bullied, so it is insinuated by the bully).   Even if this Gospel story of a bully king who insists, threatens, bullies and takes revenge, the passage has resonance for us today. 

The  key point is that we have been invited to something wonderful. That wonderful treasure is hidden away from the appearances, forms and outward structures of the community of disciples. At the heart of weekly worship (above all but not exclusively in the Eucharist) and at the heart of daily witness is the Life that Jesus gives us. That Life is our light and our food and our joy in being able to go forward through the deep and dark valleys and bright and spacious uplands of life’s journey. 

We are not alone. Even at this time of huge difficulty and uncertainty when we cannot enjoy the fullness of community and communion we can turn to God in our hearts, in our homes and under God’s sky. Remember that the sky is blue behind those clouds!

The point of the Gospel story is that we are, all of us, invited to partake in something truly magnificent, life-affirming and life-giving. The problem is that we don’t know it because we have been too busy with our own puny plans and projects thinking that what is on offer is too remote or unrealistic to be worth the effort. If only we knew and tasted a little of what is on offer. 80% of life is about turning up, quipped the comedian Woodie Allen. Turning up is not enough, however, as one of the wedding guests found out in this story. Coming with the right attitude and receptivity (being ‘appropriately clothed for the occasion’) is an important ingredient of a successful enjoyment of what is on offer. ‘I find such and such a religious rite boring and irrelevant’ is sometimes heard on the lips of young and old. But, if we only took time out to realise that these short weekly earthly excursions to the local wedding feast are a form of aperitif for a Great Party later. And different Tables at the Eucharist, at home and in the workplace are linked.

The question is not ‘why go to mass every Sunday’ or ‘why should Holy Communion be the principal service every Sunday’. Rather, it should be ‘what a privilege to take a full part in the Eucharist. It is not only a sound catholic principle but it is a sound biblical value consistent with the patterns and habits of the early Christian community who met frequently to break Bread and Word, sing together and share their beliefs, hopes, stories and lives.

I think that, here in Europe, we have much to learn about party-going worship behaviour in some other continents of the world. The party can be so good that you don’t even want to go home too soon! Or, rather, the party doesn’t stop at the door of the place of worship.

For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:7b-8).

And so we find ourselves in a troubled world this Sunday morning some two millennia later.  Might we listen again to the raw force and possibilities contained in the story we have just heard? What do we hear? How do we take this story with us in to this new week that beckons? We find ourselves this morning at a banquet of his Word and Body laid out by our Lord and Brother. Many of us are watching from home and cannot take part fully. Others are physically present under careful preparation and precautions. We hope to join them eventually.

But, this celebration does not belong to anyone in particular and we are, all of us, invited guests of the One who has given his life for us and continues to be present among us where two or three gather in his name.  Those of us who have the great privilege of being invited to and present at the Eucharist on the Lord’s Day – the day of resurrection celebrated weekly every Sunday by the disciples of Jesus since the first century – might reflect on what it is that we have been invited to and what it is that we are called to do not just this morning but for the week ahead.

As it says in Acts 2:42:

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

The party extends beyond Sundays.

According to some Jewish rabbinical saying, God will ask us only one question when we meet him after death: ‘Did you enjoy my creation?’

Our one cornerstone

 “…“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes” (Matt 21:42)

 

(Year A: 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 8^th October, 2023)

 

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READINGS 

Isaiah 5:1-7

Psalm 80:8-16

Philippians 4:6-9

Matthew 21:33-46

See, also Mark 12:1-12 and Luke 20:9-19

Yet another parable of Jesus is presented to us in the Gospel of Saint Matthew. Picture a landowner planting a vineyard, some tenants and a few slaves and the harvest.  We may imagine different scenarios for this story ranging from our own role in possibly resisting the Word of God in our lives or the centrality of grace found in Jesus Christ the cornerstone of our redeemed lives. But, we need to be mindful of the historical context in which this parable or story is told. Matthew, as already said in previous blogs, is written by a Jewish Christian in a Jewish Christian community in the last half of the first century. These were seriously no fun times for Christians – or Jews who had submitted to Christ while remaining Jewish. 

Persecution, torture, ostracism and death faced many as Rome crushed and dispersed the Chosen People and as the new faith founded on Jesus began to spread West and East and South and North (usually the western part dominates the history books).

Rejection and acceptance feature throughout scripture including, for example, in the Letter of Peter (1 Peter 2:4-7)

Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: ‘See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’ To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner’,

Jesus the Christ was rejected by some of his own people and, above all, by those in control of the Temple, the interpretation of the Law and allocation of justice.  Yet, he was and is the cornerstone.  Those sent in the name of Jesus were rejected and persecuted by those who will not accept the Gospel and its demands.  We may find ourselves in the dual position of being rejected as well as being among those who reject.  We fail to see Christ in our brother who pleads with us for mercy and understanding. We may, without knowing it, reject Christ, daily, in the those who are different to us and who cross our path for a purpose in God’s larger design.

God’s plan is that each person should be conceived, born and nurtured by love, in love and for love. While, unfortunately, it does not always work this way in practice, we can be sure that our place and our call is to respond, generously, to this love. If we feel rejected, so was our brother and Lord. If we feel loved and accepted then so we must extend that welcome and love to others.

The great majority of us were blessed with a loving mother.  Most of us have known a special love in the course of our lives. This is God’s way of helping us to grow in love for others.

We have been called to go out, give witness and bear fruit like those tenants to whom the vineyard was given when others failed to bear fruit.

May we go out and tell the whole world that God is love and that God has loved us in others and that love is the purpose and source of our call to serve the world.

Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:10)

Always ready to turn again

  “…For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax-collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.’’ (Matt 21:32)

 

(Year A: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 1st October, 2023)

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READINGS 

Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32

Psalm 25:1-8

Philippians 2:1-13

Matthew 21:23-32

 Dictum meum pactum / my word is my trust

Someone’s word is their trust.  Or, is it?

Many a promise has been made in a rush of enthusiasm or prolonged positive feeling.  When the storms come or when circumstances change, the initial promise and zeal comes under strain.  Like in the parable of the sower, the worries, trials and attractions of life can blow us off course and we are at risk of losing our initial clarity of vision and determination of will. Questions arise. Doubts are sown and regrets begin to sprout. And then the cares of life intrude.

Late arrivals

  “…I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you.’’ (Matt 20:14)

(Year A: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 24^th September, 2023)

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READINGS 

Jonah 3:10-4:11

Psalm 145:1-8

Philippians 1:21-30

Matthew 20:1-16

Thanks to extraordinary progress in health and living arrangements, those of us fortunate to live in the economically prosperous world can look forward, with cautious hope, to retirement. We may hope to live a life long enough to accompany our children and grandchildren or other extended family in their life journeys. We might, also, look forward to good health and an adequate income with a spouse or partner as we face ageing and, ultimately, birth to new life in the Risen Lord.  There are many, however, who do not make it to the ‘third age’ or, through circumstances and challenges, do not enjoy a pleasant transition. Nobody can be sure of what lies ahead. We live in the grace of God day by day and we make our best plans trusting in God’s care for us.

As Christians, we are in the business of growth – growth humanly and divinely as members of Christ. Baptism marks us out as children of God. Nourished by Word and Sacrament we have many possibilities throughout life to grow in loving, in wisdom and in all of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Each of us has been given special talents and gifts. Peter reminds us (1 Peter 4:10):

Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.

Retirement?

When asked for advice about retirement, Winston Churchill advised someone to take up a hobby.  In addition to writing and a busy schedule which included much eating, drinking and smoking, he managed to complete over 500 canvas paintings in the course of a decade (indicating an average of one a week!).

I recall reading a pamphlet entitled ‘Called in the morning’ some decades ago when I was struggling with what vocation meant for me. Somehow, that call never went away though one was held up in traffic, so to speak. For all of us called to be in Christ, our vocation is to live out to the full our baptism. This is more important than any other calling. Our baptismal call is a call to serve and love in a broken world recognising our own fragility and God-given graciousness. God calls us to follow him in Jesus just as we are – not perfect, not rounded and not fully what we could be yet. Some may sense a call to a special ministry of service in the wider local or universal church. Whatever, our calling – which in any case remains something to be uncovered, together, rather than assumed or promoted by one alone – there is much to be done. People are starving for someone to listen – really listen. People are starving for some words of insight. People are starving for Word and Sacrament – though they may never know it.

The notion that special callings to ministry is only for the academically gifted, the relatively young or the ritually pure is not a Gospel value.  God calls as we are. Of course, those with special commissions to serve or witness must do so in a way that is consistent with the purpose and message of Gospel living.  The gap between what is said and what is lived needs to be narrowed as much as possible. After all, people learn more from how those in ministry act in their whole lives than what they might say for 10 minutes or so once a week.

This week’s Gospel passage presents us with a parable about servants who were called at different times of the day. I guess that, nowadays, we would refer to such servants as ‘if and when workers’ waiting for work in the market place of modern, precarious work. But, this parable is not, primarily, about fairness or the details of working conditions in the Hellenistic-Roman world which were, by all accounts, brutal. The parable is about God’s generosity in calling each one and all in no matter what stage of life they find themselves.

Called late in the day

According to the story, those called late in the day responded and received the same recompense. The point of the narrative is not that ministry is something undertaken for one’s own reward or recompense. Rather, the story makes the point that God can call anyone at any stage including those approaching their ‘third age’.

There were those, in the story, who were standing around idle for most of the day because “Because no one has hired us.” (verse 7). They were waiting for something to happen or for someone to tell them what to do.  Too often, institutions (including churches), can engender apathy, passivity and stagnation. We need a healthy balance of initiation or innovation, on the one hand, and respect for ‘the way things are’ on the other. Many churches here in the Western world have become (or always were) much too complacent and comfortable. As congregations dwindle and age it seems not to occur to many that this cannot go on indefinitely. In some cases, there are still reasonably sizeable congregations but fewer and fewer ordained ministers. What is striking in many Christian traditions is the extent to which we have turned in on ourselves. This can take many forms including:

• Seeking to conserve the past including ways, manners of doing not to mention ancient buildings and ancestral monuments therein.
• Seeking to draw people into closed circles of like-mindedness and piety while the big, bad world out there carries on.

What many people – including the young who search – wait for is (a) authenticity of living and (b) a sense of community, belonging and identity. If churches do not give this they look elsewhere or, even in a few cases, in new church expressions outside the mainline churches we are familiar with in Ireland and in other parts of the English-speaking world.

The truth is that we have limited time – here on earth – to fulfil what it is that God has given us to do. There is an urgent need to announce, once again, the Gospel story of freedom that can set many people free. For in John 9:4 Jesus declares: 

We must work the works of him who sent us while it is day; night is coming when no one can work

The vineyard awaits us at any time of life. But who will be sent?  What does this ‘sending’ mean, concretely, for you, me, others?  Do we hear a gentle whisper some time? Might it say to us:

I have sent you to touch the minds and hearts of many and to set my people free…

Might there be those, among us, in the ‘third age’ of life who can help in some way?  It’s evening time for many of us and it is the second best part of the day after the morning (or may be it will be the best?). I conclude with a saying attributed to the American actress, Bette Davis (1908-1989):

I will not retire while I've still got my legs and my make-up box.

Embracing the hard gospel

  “…So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’’ (Matt 18:35)

 

(Year A: 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 17th September, 2023)

 

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READINGS 

Eccliasticus 27:30-28:7

Psalm 102

Romans 14:1-12

Matthew 18:21-35

 

This Sunday’s Gospel passage comes in three parts: (1) a pressing question from Peter about how often he should forgive a brother who sins against him (could he possibly be referring to one of the twelve apostles?), (2) a quick and sharp answer from Jesus backed up with a story used by Jesus to illustrate the point, and, (3) a generalised ‘so this is the lesson’ for Peter and everyone else listening (including us, today).

Forgiveness cuts both ways: from us towards others and from others towards us.  We have been reminded, already, in Matthew 5:23-26 that our prayer and offerings mean little if anything without first seeking reconciliation with our brother and sister from whom we may have been estranged through hurt, negligence or exclusion. Forgiveness is not cheap. We begin to realise this when we honestly face our own cause of hurt and dissension. Neither is forgiveness merely about what seems small and petty. It is about the really big things that society would prefer not to mention or acknowledge. In Ireland, for example, tens of thousands of people walk about every day carrying deep, deep and very deep wounds. We have heard much about abuse that took place (and still takes place) in domestic or institutional settings. We know that many have been physically and mentally scarred by horrific experiences during the 30-year war in Northern Ireland which never completely came to an end.

How do people forgive when the hurt is so deep as to be beyond description or telling? It is easy to let the words forgiveness, regret and reconciliation roll off our tongues. But, is it ‘from the heart’?

It is, perhaps, easy to say ‘I forgive that person’ or ‘I hold no grudges against that person’. It is more difficult to change our feelings and, indeed, our behaviour which is shaped by our will, understanding and feelings.  If you find it ever so slightly awkward to look a particular person in the eye, there is a fair chance that a residue of hurt and resentment lingers somewhere below our surfaces. Forgiveness, therefore, is a work in progress. From the statement ‘I forgive that person’ or, indeed, ‘Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us’ (in the prayer, Our Father) to letting go of hurt and letting the other person go from our negative feelings and perceptions, we need to work on forgiveness. It doesn’t just happen. It takes lots of patience, prayer, time, self-awareness, trust and self-honesty. It is a work of grace and, alone, we cannot reach a place of forgiving when hurt is overwhelming.

But, Peter asked a reasonable question and we may ask the same question. What if I have forgiven someone not once, but twice, three times …. seven times?  After each episode and starting-again, someone keeps saying, doing or failing in the same way each time. It may be galling to consider indefinitely forgiving this person. To be concrete, we might consider a very real situation where someone has lost a loved one or was nearly lost themselves in a bombing or shooting with all the horrendous pains, memories and lost years? What if the one who perpetrated the violence is now sitting across the table and saying ‘that was then and now is now’ or ‘we deeply regret any hurt caused, sure weren’t we all victims of an unjust situation?’. This example may extend to perpetrators of evil and violent acts whether done as part of a paramilitary organisation or by a State organisation acting unjustly and immorally.

It is easy for someone standing in a pulpit or writing a blog to preach forgiveness in big matters as well as not so big matters. We do not feel the pain, the hurt, the trauma, the limbs that will never move again or, even worse still, the empty ‘regrets’ of those who have no remorse for acting in what they rationalised as a just war.

We must clearly and decisively differentiate between forgiveness and facilitation of wrong. To refuse to name abuse or to refuse to walk away when all reasonable and time-bound efforts have been made is not forgiveness. It is facilitation of abuse. Rather, we may learn to forgive by letting go and by not surfing the waves of resentment (and letting them wash over as we keep walking to our destination). This is a work in progress never entirely complete or perfect but part of a process of healing as much for ourselves as for anyone else. If we cannot move towards greater forgiveness then the one who has deeply hurt us is still somewhere in our heads and hearts hurting us even if the one is long dead or gone from our lives.

An important aid to being able to forgive (and let go which is the same thing) is to realise that we, too, stand in the dock as St Paul reminds us in today’s reading (Romans 14:10). At least sometimes and in some situations, we have failed to live up to the call of love. Perhaps we are blind to certain things but we know in our hearts that somewhere along the line we have fallen short – even well short of what is right. 

St Paul in a letter to the Ephesians writes (4:31-32):

Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Were such an approach to be initiated and really tried today, Sunday, in families across the country what a difference it could make.  Seeds of reconciliation would be sown and people set free from pointless family feuds or bad behaviour. Someone initiating a new approach based on mercy and humility would be met with the same cutting sarcasm and bitterness as ever. However, it is surely true that the practice of consistent, wholesome and whole-hearted compassion will not leave the coldest heart untouched at some point. It may not save a hopeless situation but it will have some impact for the better in the long-run.

Were such an approach to be initiated and really tried singularly or together tomorrow, Monday, in workplaces across the country what a difference it could begin to make. Productivity would rise, happiness would increase, health would improve and people would be freed from the never-ending cycle of gossip, resentment and organisational feuding.

Forgiveness has radical implications not only for individuals and small groups but whole societies and economies.

Gospel of Life: The Assumption of Mary

 The Assumption of Our Lady

Dormition of the Theotokos (saintelia.com)

Scripture reading:

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:19)

A Reflection:

Twenty Five years ago in Omagh town in Northern Ireland and on the Feast of the Assumption 31 persons including two unborn twins were murdered in the single greatest act of terrorism associated with the troubles.  This indescribable act of evil timed on the very day that Catholics in the West and in the East mark the dormition or assumption of Mary at the end of her life reminds us that all life if precious and fragile.  Even still, we ought not to fear those who kill the body as much as those who would kill body and soul. We can be sure that the souls of the just including those killed in the womb are with the Lord where they are loved for all eternity.  This thought is some comfort to us even now.  However, we have much to do to contend with evil in this short life sojourn. 

A Prayer:

"A great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, may an impassioned plea rise to God, the Creator and lover of life, from every Christian community, from every group and association, from every family and from the heart of every believer.”  – Pope John Paul II, The Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae), n. 100.

When and how to correct (hint: begin with myself!)

READINGS:

Ezechiel 33:7-11

Psalm 94

Romans 13:8-14

Matthew 18:15-20

(See exercise for the coming week at the bottom of this blog post)

The passage from Matthew is a relatively short passage. Yet, it is rich in content and contains many leads for consideration. First, we must put it in context. It comes to us in a flow of parables – succinct stories that, each, have a punch line or a ‘so what’.  The scene is set in those communities from which Matthew emerged – some decades following the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  Already, a young Christian community was beginning to emerge in various parts of the Roman Empire.  Tensions were running high following the liquidation of the Temple in the Siege of Jerusalem at the end of the first Jewish-Roman war or Great Revolt.  As today, in the Middle East, those were particularly difficult times for Jews and Christians – the latter beginning as a movement within Judaism but acquiring the status of an increasingly separate religious cult and belief system towards the end of the first century and probably around the time the gospel of Matthew as we have received it was written down.

We can imagine that this period was one of intense persecution, in-fighting, blame, suspicion and trauma. The first disciples of Jesus faced numerous challenges ranging from dealing with ostracism from their own families to persecution from the religious and political authorities of the day to vicious sectarianism and partisanship within the early emerging church or churches (the term ‘church’ is hardly ever used in the gospels: there are only three uses of the term in the gospel of Matthew: 16:18, 18:17 and 18:21).  Of course, there are many references to church in the Acts of the Apostles and across the various Pauline and other Letters found in the New Testament.

Like any community, the early Christians were not immune from human weaknesses manifested in behaviour and attitudes at variance with the kingdom of God values elaborated by Jesus in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12 – Rejoice and be glad).

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Line by line

‘If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.’ (v. 15)

Fraternal correction is an essential part of Christian discipleship.  None of us is immune from faults – especially those invisible to us but visible to others.  It takes a lot of trust, affection and shared desire for the common good to be open to correction based on truth. It also takes honest, courageous and respectful conversations: the type of conversations we often run away from or put off to another time.

When fraternal correction or communication of a difficult message is required we are challenged to consider how and when to do this. The one correcting is, of course, not beyond fault and too often those in authority over others (e.g. parents, bishops, seniors and ‘bosses’ in the workplace) are too prone to impart correction with motives that are mixed (like for example when a parent after a hard day’s work has had enough of whinging from a child). Truly loving correction is difficult at the best of times. Not infrequently those in positions of responsibility run away from correction for fear of negative reactions on the part of those corrected. The desire to be popular, liked and respected may outweigh the responsibility to help others and to uphold the shared good of all concerned.

On the other hand, those corrected do not like being corrected. Let’s face it: none of us likes being corrected even when it is done gently, carefully and lovingly. It is hard to be told things we don’t like to hear. Then again, it is possible that we may think that we are being misunderstood and falsely assessed and we might even be right in thinking so.

‘But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.’ (v. 16)

In cases of serious wrong-doing like, for example, bullying in the workplace, care is needed to approach someone whose behaviour is not acceptable.  Everyone is due respect and privacy. However, if a one-to-one does not work then others may need to be involved. However, this must also be done with great gentleness, respect and care. After all, those who perceive a wrong-doing may only see part of the full picture and may be subject to bias or personal interest that they are not even aware of. Matthew echoes Jewish tradition about the witness of more than one person (see, for example, Leviticus 19:17 and Deuteronomy 19:5)

Paul wrote to the Galatians 6:1:

My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted.

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‘If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector.’ (v.17)

If, after many efforts and stages of intervention, the one who behaves flagrantly against the common good of a community persists must be removed for the good of all (and including the one causing the offence).  If only church leaders had heeded these sayings of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew in the course of recent decades when scandals of abuse became clear to those in authority.  Churches are paying a heavy price for a failure in duty to the most vulnerable even up to the present time.  Apologies, protocols and prayer are not enough. Action to root out evil doing along with appropriate sanctions for those who failed in authority is required. Full transparency and accountability to the entire church is essential. Churches have much to do to regain trust.

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ (v. 18)

We heard this saying, already, in Matthew 16:18 (‘whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven’). What Jesus says to Peter, he says to each and all in the brotherhood and sisterhood of his followers. In a special way, it is said to those in positions of special authority and responsibility. However, it is also said to you and me if we are serious about following Jesus today.

Whereas the ‘binding’ and the ‘loosing’ in heaven as on earth refers to Peter as ‘primus inter pares’ (first among equals) the same ‘binding’ and ‘loosing’ applies where ‘two or three gather in my name’.  The ‘primus’ and the ‘inter pares’ need to be in balance. At times over the last two millennia the balance has swung too far to one pole or the other.  However, the earth is balanced on two poles – not one.

‘Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.’ (v. 19)

The ekklêsia or gathering is vital.  Where two or three are gathered in the name of Jesus and ask and pray and seek together then doors are opened, prayers answered and gifts beyond expectations showered on us.

 ‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’ (v. 20)

This is the core of ‘ekklêsia’. Where two or three are gathered together in the name of the Lord Jesus and where there is true love then Jesus is truly present among them. Sacraments, teaching, discipleship are founded on this gathering in faith and love. Without this foundation, everything crumbles and does not last. The beauty and power of this truth is that gathering in the name of Jesus is not confined to special times and places. A family or a couple gathered in the name of Jesus and united in his love is church.  A company of believers gathered for prayer in a quiet corner of a busy city is church. A mother nursing an infant at 3am in the morning is church. Two prisoners on death row united in the name and love of Jesus is church. Yes, even when gathered on zoom or live facebook feeds Christ is present (though virtual workshop and meeting is never but a temporary substitute for the real thing).

Potentially, the gathering of two or three in His Name is subversive and disruptive because where Jesus is so also is the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit can gently wreak havoc on the best laid plans, assumptions and imposed structures. It is a gathering/ekklesia/church literally without walls. But,we need walls and structures, too, provided they don’t keep people out or keep people stuck in all the time.

If we were more conscious of the presence of Jesus ‘where two or three gather’ in his name we might review some of our attitudes and dispositions in daily life.  It comes back to daily living.

Ecumenism (Christian reconciliation) in high places requires a change of attitude and heart at the local and specific levels where ‘two or three gather’ in His Name whether for prayer, work, joint action, simple conversation or silence.

At the end of our lives we might catch a momentary glimpse of situations where God was present where two or three were gathered and we didn’t quite realise it at the time. May God be present among two or thee in the final moments of someone’s life on earth. And wouldn’t it be lovely if we made our own journey – when the time comes – in the company of two, three or more of our closest and dearest.

And didn’t our hearts burn within us when he talked with us and when he opened the scriptures to us (Luke 24:32).

Postscript

Here is an exercise to consider in the coming week or so:

1. Think about and acknowledge times where ‘two or three’ are often gathered in the name of Jesus.
2. Name the persons and the occasions.
3. Prepare for such gatherings in advance by means of a short prayer or time of quiet.
4. Enter into such gatherings mindfully noting one’s inner thoughts, feelings and expectations. Do likewise after such a gathering.
5. Be on the watch for occasions where two or three are gathered other than in the name of Jesus. Is God calling me in this situation to witness? How? A prayer of consensus (Matthew 18:19) might be possible to discern one’s call or role in such difficult situations.